Agenda item

The Emergency Planning and Health & Safety Lead returned to the Chamber.

The Chairman initiated the Q&A by noting that the following queries had been raised by Members of the public effected by the recent flooding:

-       Causing of the flooding,

-       Mitigation planned to prevent future flooding,

-       Whether local building developments had exacerbated flooding issues,

-       Issues regarding river blockages,

-       An action plan to be shared with local residents.

Clarification was given by the Emergency Planning and Health & Safety Lead that, since the Public Speakers item, they had been in dialogue with the public speakers in attendance that had been impacted by the flooding. Following the dialogue, the Emergency Planning and Health & Safety Lead agreed to support the residents effected by chasing the responsible organisations and updating residents regularly.

A point of information was raised that new developments within the area were assessed for flooding risk and had to meet particular standards or ensure sufficient mitigation was enacted.

During discussions, Members discussed the following:

-       It was queried whether the insertion of weirs and alternative adjustments made to the River Witham had impacted flooding levels. Confirmation was given that it was the view of the Environmental Agency that these had no impact.

-       A Member expressed the view that specialist impact assessments should be undertaken regarding the flow of the River Witham.

-       The matter was raised whether building developments had an impact on underground water levels.

-       It was queried who was responsible for cleaning the dyke by Tennyson Avenue, Grantham. Confirmation was given that the work was being undertaken on the SKDC-owned section of the dike in early March.

-       Clarification was given that Section 19 reports were produced by Lincolnshire County Council (LCC) following instances of flooding to not only identify causing issues but also to recommend specific mitigations. It was the view of several Members that these Section 19 reports needed to be both produced and acted upon quicker. A Member offered further advice that, in their experience, it was the responsibility of the relevant County Councillor to arrange a site visit following the publication of the Section 19 report.

-       Regarding the immediate response to flooding events, a Member noted that LCC request specific information when a flooding issue is reported. Therefore, the Member suggested that such information as the number of vulnerable individuals within specific areas of residence should be readily available in such exceptional circumstances to ensure a swift response.

-       Clarification was sought regarding the role and operations of SKDC’s Housing department during the recent flooding. The Emergency Planning and Health & Safety Lead confirmed that management within the Housing Department were a key aspect of shaping the senior management response. Furthermore, Members of the Housing teams were contacting both Council and private tenants in which temporary accommodation was offered to those whose residence was uninhabitable due to the flooding.

-       The Head of Waste and Markets agreed to continue to chase LCC for an update regarding the cleaning of the drainage systems in SKDC. ACTION

It was proposed, seconded and AGREED to invite representatives from the following key agencies during such flood responses to attend the March meeting of the Environment Overview and Scrutiny Committee: Lincolnshire County Council, the Environment Agency, the Internal Drainage Board, and senior Planning Officers.